


Unbutton

by looker



Category: THE iDOLM@STER, The iDOLM@STER Sidem
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 13:39:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11647689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/looker/pseuds/looker
Summary: After a night at the bar, Tsubasa and Kaoru return to Tsubasa's home.





	Unbutton

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a hc convo i had before. kaotsu is good as hell

Stumbling slightly, feet uncoordinated from drunkenness, Tsubasa fought to right himself as to not drop the man held upright at his side. Kaoru was still responsive, insulting Tsubasa halfheartedly for being clumsy, but still very drunk - they both were.

At Teru's insistence, the three had met at his favorite bar for the night for a round (or three) to celebrate their recent CD release. Teru had gone home on his own, face planting on the sidewalk as he tried to show off just how sober he was, but Tsubasa trusted him to get home alright - he did this more frequently than Kaoru or himself did after all.

Kaoru, however, was surprisingly a lightweight. After one shot the older man clearly began feeling it more than Tsubasa or their even older friend did. Tsubasa had offered early to make sure Kaoru got home safe if things got out of hand - which they had - because he knew drunken Teru and Kaoru together was a recipe for disaster. He had already had to defuse several near physical fights in the bar.

"Do you think you can get home, Kaoru-san?" Tsubasa asked as they neared his own house, which was luckily within walking distance of the bar.

Kaoru turned his head to look at him, peering at the taller man over the edge of his glasses with a scowl. "No."

Tsubasa didn't mind so much, smiling slightly. "You can stay at my place then. Is that okay?"

Kaoru's scowl did not fade, but his weight was still loose in Tsubasa's supportive (well, sort of supportive) grip. "Sure."  
  


* * *

 

Tsubasa's place was small and modest, but he made sure to keep it tidy in case anything like this happened. It didn't often - sometimes a friend will stay over a night, but nothing big like this before. Kaoru and Teru hadn't visited him at home before, and the presence of his unit-mate felt heavier than he expected as they made their way through the front door.

With one glance Tsubasa could tell Kaoru was already building a repertoire of criticisms of his place, but the alcohol in his system must have overridden them as he stumbled through the doorway and muttered a very quiet "thank you for letting me stay" to Tsubasa. Tsubasa, still tipsy himself, smiled widely behind Kaoru's back at the unexpected politeness.

Kaoru began to roam aimlessly before disappearing back into the back of the apartment, where Tsubasa assumed he was finding a bathroom. Tsubasa grabbed glasses of water for them both, knowing that if he didn't, Kaoru would have his head in in the morning if he was extremely hung over from not hydrating properly. And other medical rants of the sort. Tsubasa was definitely no stranger to them, already.

Tsubasa was surprised to not find Kaoru in the bathroom, like he expected - instead, the other man was laid, sprawled even, on his bed, his eyes closed. Tsubasa tiptoed over, wondering if Kaoru had fallen asleep already. He carefully placed the glasses on his bedside table, and the clink of glass on the wood roused Kaoru, who's now opened eyes slipped over to look at Tsubasa in the dark.

"Your apartment isn't as messy as I thought it'd be," Kaoru said, unfiltered and direct as usual, but words not as severe as they would be sober.

"I do try to keep it clean," Tsubasa said gently, standing awkwardly beside his own bed, unsure whether to ask Kaoru to leave or to sleep on the couch himself. Kaoru was like an unruly cat - he was never sure when the claws would come out, or if he'd escape unscathed.

Kaoru gave him a long stare before reaching out a hand, patting it on the edge of the bed. "This is your bed. You can sit on it."

"I think we should go to sleep, Kaoru-san."

The look Kaoru gave him quickly had him sitting down on the edge of the bed. Kaoru shifted around, movements languid and slow from drinking and, likely, exhaustion - they had a full day before they had retired. Tsubasa felt the same tiredness in his muscles. Kaoru mumbled something irritably, his hands moving to his chest. Tsubasa looked up at him, questioning.

"Did you say something?"

Kaoru gave him a long, steely glare, but the sharp edges of it were softened. "I can't sleep in my work clothes."

They stared at each other for a long pause before it occurred to Tsubasa what was being insinuated. He felt his face flare up, to his embarrassment, and quickly looked away. "Oh! You're right. I... I'll leave you to do that, Kaoru-"

As Tsubasa made to get up from the bed, long fingers snapped around his wrist, holding him in place. Kaoru was still fixedly staring at him, unreadable. "I can't undo the buttons myself right now."

There was another moment as Tsubasa's inebriated brain worked over the other man's words, and then- "Oh!" Tsubasa felt flush again, quickly snaking his wrist from Kaoru's grip. "Um... I guess I could help unlace your shoes, Kaoru-san. Would that help?"

Kaoru didn't answer as Tsubasa got up and rounded the end of the bed, getting on one knee to untie the laces of Kaoru's shoes. They were fine leather, and looked expensive, and were smooth against Tsubasa's fingers as he gently took one in his hand. He could feel Kaoru staring at him as he worked to undo the knots with slightly trembling hands. "Make sure not to scratch the leather," Kaoru said finally, the tension in the room unwavered by his cool statement. Tsubasa made sure to be extra careful.

Tsubasa placed the shoes at the side of the bed, sneaking a glance at Kaoru as he did so. The older man was still staring at him rather intensely, and had not made any move to undo the buttons of his shirt. Tsubasa's heartbeat stuttered, and wondered if Kaoru really intended for him to undo his shirt for him.

"Help me undo the buttons," Kaoru said, reading Tsubasa's mind and sealing his fate to undressing his fellow idol. Tsubasa shut his eyes for a moment before letting out a breath, sitting back on the bed close to Kaoru. He loomed over him, keeping as much space between them as possible, and reached his hands up to the button fastened at Kaoru's throat. The older man's chin tipped back ever so slightly as Tsubasa's fingers brushed his skin, and Tsubasa fought the flinch that shocked through him.

Tsubasa quickly undid the other buttons, grateful that Kaoru had an undershirt on beneath his work shirt. Thankfully, Kaoru mustered enough energy to slip his own shirt off his shoulders once it was unbuttoned. He attempted to fold it nicely, but lacked the coordination to do so, and then left it poorly folded beside him instead. Tsubasa carefully averted his eyes from Kaoru's thin shoulders, hoping that Kaoru would dismiss him finally so he could escape.

No such luck. Kaoru somehow caught his gaze again, his stare sharper than before. He was probably sobering up slightly, but was still holding himself much more loosely than Tsubasa was used to seeing. Kaoru was, as Teru-san would describe him, uptight and unfriendly. But in the dark of Tsubasa's room, with his shirt off and the back of his hair tousled, he seemed anything but uptight. Just dangerous, maybe.

"You're too helpful for your own good," Kaoru said. Tsubasa felt a little relief at the familiar statement, pointed as it was. "Do you do this for strangers, as well?"

"Of course not," Tsubasa said, smiling warmly at Kaoru. "You're my friend, not a stranger."

Kaoru's eyes averted, a faint blush painting his face pink in the moonlight coming through the window. "We're not friends. We're co workers."

"I think we're friends, Kaoru-san."

Kaoru's hand moved quickly, as if on impulse, and wrapped around Tsubasa's wrist. He pulled him over, unbalancing him and causing him to land hard over Kaoru's body. Beside his outstretched hand on the blanket, Kaoru's shoulders were small and pale. Tsubasa blinked, wide eyed, down at Kaoru, who scowled up at him, as if he had not been the one who put them in this position.

"Kaoru-san?"

"You're too big," Kaoru complained, reaching a hand up and grazing the tips of his fingers along Tsubasa's upper arm absently. "Stature wise. You're taller than me, and broader. But not muscular. And you don't eat healthily, either, but you're not overweight. You're very gifted." Tsubasa nodded along, uncertain of how to proceed with Kaoru's rambling. Kaoru's pinched expression grew tighter as his fingers ghosted upwards, barely touching Tsubasa's neck. "To be in good health."

Tsubasa couldn't help but laugh gently. "You always tell me to eat healthier."

"Everyone should eat healthier," Kaoru snapped back, his fingers finally making contact and making Tsubasa shiver as they slid back, brushing through the hair at the base of his neck. "But you are attractive despite it. It's annoying."

"Attractive?" Tsubasa echoed, unable to process the other man's words before he was pulled down and their lips connected for a fleeting moment before Tsubasa pulled back, eyes wider than before and face, certainly, redder. "K-Kaoru-san!"

Kaoru gazed up at him, intense and sharp as ever, but there was something else in the depth of his stare - something that Tsubasa hadn't seen before. It made him stutter as Kaoru pulled him back down, with more intent, and they connected once more. Tsubasa's mind swirled as the kiss lingered, Kaoru's lips warm and tinged with the shots they had done earlier. Kaoru's fingers curled in his hair, and Tsubasa found his other free hand with his own, entangling their fingers. Kaoru let out a short breath as their hands met, close enough to a gasp that Tsubasa pulled back with a start, eyes still closed as he regained his composure.

When he opened his eyes, Kaoru's eyes were still closed. Tsubasa took the moment to take in the man beneath him. Their hands holding each others, the deep shadows in the dips of his collarbone, the slight part of his lips, the way his glasses were slightly askew from their kiss.

"I think we should go to sleep," Tsubasa said gently, making the executive decision that although he wanted to, he couldn't continue this. "We have work tomorrow morning."

Kaoru's eyes slipped open halfway, peering up at Tsubasa tentatively. His hand slipped down from Tsubasa's neck to adjust his glasses back into place. Their interlocked hands did not move. "You're right."

"I'm going to go sleep on the couch," Tsubasa said. In a bold move, he used his other hand to gently brush away Kaoru's hair from his face. Kaoru, ever so slightly, leaned into Tsubasa's touch. "There's water on the bedside table for you."

Kaoru sniffed, finally breaking their stare. Tsubasa could tell, though, that this was not Kaoru being difficult - he was grateful. He smiled again, doing enough smiling for the both of them, and finally slipped his hand away from Kaoru's. "We will talk in the morning," Kaoru said quietly as Tsubasa made to stand up. Tsubasa peered over at him, and the other man had rolled onto his side, back to Tsubasa. The tops of his ears, visible between the sharp black of his hair, were red.

"Of course, Kaoru-san," Tsubasa said, smiling as he stood. "I'll see you in the morning."  
  


* * *

 

"Tsubasa."

Tsubasa awoke with a jolt, before the pain from sleeping uncomfortably on his couch overtook him. He groaned as he rubbed at his sore neck, looking up at Kaoru, who stood over the couch. A faint headache pounded at the back of his head, but it was nothing outrageous.

Kaoru looked as kept and meticulous as he always did - even his shirt, which had been an improperly folded mess the night before appeared crisply ironed on him. He looked down at Tsubasa coolly, eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Quickly, before Tsubasa had time to react, Kaoru leaned down and kissed him, easily taking Tsubasa's jaw in his slender fingers. Tsubasa gladly kissed the man back, wrapping his own hand around Kaoru's wrist tenderly. In his sleepy haze, Tsubasa realized how nicely their lips fit each others.

As quickly as he had kissed him, he pulled back again, expression still tight but slightly affectionate. "Make sure to brush your teeth before leaving for work today."

"O-okay," Tsubasa said, dumbfounded.

Kaoru stood there for another moment, movement still, before turning on his heel for the front door. "I'll see you at the studio later. Don't be late."

Tsubasa sunk back into the couch after Kaoru quietly shut the door behind him, praying that Teru would not bully Kaoru too hard for this when he inevitably found out.  



End file.
